Although cellulose fibre based products are cheap and readily available, a principal disadvantage for a number of uses is that they readily absorb water and so lose strength. It is known to coat or impregnate such products with hydrophobic materials to reduce or prevent water uptake. In particular, waxes have been used to coat or impregnate paper and corrugated cardboard to impart a degree of water and grease resistance and improved strength. However, the waxes normally used are derived from petroleum and are therefore becoming much more expensive as the price of crude oil increases.
Resins have also been used to modify the properties of cellulose fibre based products. Paper, usually printed with a decorative pattern, is impregnated with a resin (usually a melamine resin) in the production of films or foils for lamination to a substrate, such as particle board. These laminated boards find wide application in kitchens and for the production of furniture having a hard decorative outer surface. The increasing cost of timber has made such laminated products very attractive, however the cost of the resin represents a substantial part of the overall cost of the laminated product.
Starches have been used for a long time for sizing paper products. However, although starches are naturally occurring products not subject to price increases based on escalating crude oil prices, they are unable to impart the required water resistance properties to cellulose fibre based materials.
It is an object of the present invention to mitigate these disadvantages and to provide a composition which may be used in place of waxes or resins in the treatment of cellulose fibre based materials.